First off, let me state that things are not so dire around here that we are auctioning off our belongings to make ends meet. I'm not sure what motivated Andy to suggest such a ludicrous notion such as me getting rid of my 20+ pairs of shoes. Although, it is true, I'm not a girl who likes excess. If something doesn't have a
specific purpose in my life, I get rid of it. I try to live by the
William Morris quote: "Have nothing in your house which you do not
consider either beautiful or useful."

As much as it pains me, the majority of my shoes never see the light of day anymore. During any given week, my footwear is limited to my monster snow boots and a pair of sensible Dansko sport clogs. If I'm feeling dressy, I'm more apt to grab my green Dansko clogs than a pair of heels or snappy flats.

But I'm certainly not ready to post my shoes on eBay just because they've become little more than dust magnets. There's really no reason to. After all, these are not nice shoes.

I mean, I think they're
lovely . . . but it's not like I have a collection of Jimmy Choos and Manolo
Blahniks hanging out in my closet. The majority of my shoes are Target's finest, which is to say, I didn't pay more than $20 for them. That means I've invested just $400 in my collection of mostly useless (and worthless) shoes; not nearly as shocking as Carrie Bradshaw's realization in Sex and the City that she's spent $40,000 on her rather valuable shoe collection.

I mean, it would be great to have an extra $400 floating around right about now. But it's not such a big amount that I'm going to berate myself over not investing those funds in, say, my retirement account. A girl has a right to shoes, doesn't she?

I hate that I fall into the cliches of "all women love shoes", but I do love them, so why fight it. The question is, why? Why have I been drawn to shoes during my early adult years like a moth to the flame?

There's definitely a certain amount of escapism associated with a pair of shoes. Just think of where Dorothy got by clicking her heels together in her ruby slippers. Think of what befell Cinderella when she was hobnobbing around in her glass slippers. Since we were little girls, we were taught that a pair of shoes has the ability to not only protect our feet from a bumpy, rocky road, but to literally transport us to different worlds.

My black pumps make me feel confident and professional. My red shoes are all about sass and good times.On the flip side of the coin, my hiking boots just make my feet feel real heavy.

The shoes hold memories too. There's the pink slingbacks I bought on Oxford Street to wear to High Tea at the Ritz. The green shoes I bought on my way home from work on day in London. The pink shoes I wore to a friend's wedding.

Then there's that never ending quest to find the pair of shoes that perfectly compliments a new dress or outfit. I've bought at least three pairs of shoes to specifically match a single sundress and still haven't quite found the right match yet.

Blasphemer! You don't get rid of SHOES! Silly men. To explain the concept to my other half, I told him that asking me to get rid of my shoes would be like me asking him to get rid of his video games. Point: made. ;)

Every woman definitely has the right to shoes. Here here! I'm not a big shoe lover. I prefer going barefoot most of the time. But Georgia's mild weather allows for that. I should like shoes, because man do I ever have ugly feet. But no, I leave those ugly feet naked and unadorned for all the world to see.

Lol, great post! Makes me want to go buy a pair of pumps which I haven't worn in years....and from target! I'm featured now on Blogher so we have that in common, and am also a writer. Happy to have found a blog illcreally enjoy following!

I did NOT imagine you a shoe fiend! Just goes to show, whether you live in the big city of the woods, shoes just have a universal appeal to women. And many men.... my ex-husband owns more shoes than any woman I've ever known. I had issues with that...but I digress...

Love that William Morris quote! I've always tried to live by that one too.

I don't have a large collection of shoes but those I do have I can't seem to let go of either. Even though, like yours, they gather a lot of dust. But, I might want to wear them one day. For me it's all about comfort. I don't own a single pair of heels. And I call myself a woman? Well, yes, I do. Can't walk in them. Don't want to walk in them. Give me 10 pairs of clunky Keens. I don't really have 10 pairs of Keens, but I'd like to...

I admit I love love love walking barefeet. As much as I love my shoes. And Andy? Weel he lacking any attchemnt to shoes - quite onviously. But then he never had red slippers to click the heels or having spent an entired eve at the Opera with high heels and blisters. That eve I never will forget and would not sell on ebay

No, he di'int!! Men seem to take a perverse pride in misunderstanding the cult of the shoe. It has nothing to do with what I need- it is all about how they make me feel. I have 2 pairs of shoes from the 80s and all I have to do is open the box and I'm flooded with wonderful memories of a time that's past. Thanks for writing about it. And sell them? NO WAY.

Sell shoes? No way!I'm boring when it comes to shoes though. I rarely wear anything else than Doc Martens. Since I discovered the beauty/comfiness of Doc Martens I don't want anything else. If I ever get anything else it is just because I can't find anything similar made by Doc Martens. LOL!

I'm right there with you! I hate when a pair of my shoes become so well loved (aka trashed) that I have to throw them away. I've held onto shoes for far too long before until I can find a replacement. I liked your references to Dorothy and Cinderella...I wonder if there are any other childhood stories that led to the Girls ♥ Shoes stereotype (although it isn't one for me) I do ♥ Shoes!

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.

-- Alan Alda

About Me!Writer, knitter, runner. I live on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.